


Father Knows Best

by AnonLife



Series: Miraculous Starts [8]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris | Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 22:09:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20496113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonLife/pseuds/AnonLife
Summary: Papillon's revelation came as a shock to Adrien and his motivations moreso.He was certain Ladybug would help.





	Father Knows Best

“Père…,” Adrien croaked, unwilling to believe what he had just seen.

Gabriel walked toward the blonde haired boy and grasped his shoulder. The man’s expressive blue eyes seemed to pierce his son’s soul. “I am Papillon and you are Chat Noir.”

Adrien shook his head and backed away, unconsciously fingering the ring on his finger. His face fluttered through a myriad of emotions. However, only one word would come to his mind. “Why?” 

Indecision marred the elder man’s visage until a deep sigh escaped his lips. Carefully, he grabbed the Miraculous on his chest and opened the purple brooch, showing his son its contents. 

“What do you know of the ring on your finger?” he asked, finally.

The blonde boy furrowed his brow, unsure about the question. He looked at his Miraculous and demurred, “It gives me the power of destruction and the ability to transform into Chat Noir.”

Gabriel let out another sigh and gently caressed the picture of his wife. For a moment, he appeared the image of a broken man before gaining strength and standing taller than before. “The earrings of creation. The ring of destruction. It is said that together they grant the holder absolute power,” he explained 

Fury lit across Adrien’s face and he broke into a deep scowl. “That’s what you want? What good is absolute power?” the teen seethed. “Is it worth terrorizing Paris? Possessing my classmates and friends? Trying to  _ kill  _ me?”

“I  _ never _ wanted to hurt you!” the elder man suddenly exclaimed, showing more heat than his son had ever seen.

“Then why?” Adrien challenged, fingering his ring again and itching to transform. How could his father be so cold? How could he do such terrible things?

Pain engulfed Gabriel and he became broken once more. His body hunched over, clutching the brooch in his hand tightly into a white fist. Finally, with eyes averted, he whispered softly, “Your Mère.”

Adrien recoiled as if burned, taken aback by his father’s words. “What did you say?” the blonde boy pleaded, instantly stepping forward. All thoughts of Paris banished to the depths of his mind. 

Reaching out to his son, the elder man met the boy’s desperate gaze. “With the powers of creation and destruction, I can bring her back to us. We can be a family again.”

They were not sure how long they stood. Father and son stared at one another, pain, regret, and hope fluttering between them both. Each of them searching and gauging one another.

“Please,” Gabriel begged, breaking the silence. “Will you help me retrieve the earrings?”

Adrien instantly baulked at the thought of betraying the girl he loved. The notion of of destroying their partnership and losing that trust sent waves of revulsion through his body. He opened his mouth to vehemently refuse. Yet.. 

The look on his father’s face... His yearning for his mother’s touch… 

As much as he wanted to deny it, the one thing he wanted more than anything was to have his family back. He could give up roaming Paris as Chat Noir if she was there for just a moment. He could go back to being homeschooled if it meant having her around to watch him… 

He could give up the love of his Lady if meant seeing her smile one more time. 

“Okay,” the blonde haired boy murmured.

And immediately, he felt as if he made the right choice. Even if the pit of his stomach felt nauseous. The pure adoration and hopeful joy that graced his father’s features made him feel better. Almost uncharacteristically, the elder man pulled his son into a hug.

“Yes,” Gabriel beamed. “Together with my champion, you’ll be able to take the earr-.”

“Wait,” Adrien interjected, feeling instantly terrible as his father’s excitement took on the look of a kicked puppy. “Let me talk to her first. She’ll understand. She’ll help us.”

Worry and concern flitted across the elder man’s visage. Desperately he pleaded, “We won’t have another chance. She’ll be on guard afterwards.”

Adrien felt the ill feeling come again, but quashed the unsettling sense. He urged, “Please. She’ll be reasonable. I just have to explain everything and she’ll help us get Mère back. Ladybug has never let me down.”

Gabriel took on a pained look, fighting with himself to order his son to acquiesce to his plan or allow him to risk it all. So close to having the one he loved above all others; yet, the anguish that marred his son’s face and the indecision that surely wracked his soul mirrored his own self-doubt and pain.

With a deep sigh, the elder man finally nodded; and, the blonde boy lit up like a beacon.

“Père, thank you,” Adrien breathed, gratitude filling his words. “I promise. I’ll get her to help us. You’ll see. We’ll be a family again.”

Uncertainty still crossed Gabriel’s face, but the sheer confidence in his son’s voice had him taken aback. The absolute lack of doubt seemed so like his own when he had started this quest...

Finally, he voiced his concerns, “But if she refuses?”

Yet, the blonde haired boy shook his head vehemently, “She won’t. She’ll help us.”

Grasping the young man on his shoulders, Gabriel tried to convey his concern and worry in the face of his son’s youthful conviction. He needed him to understand. They were too close. He insisted, “Adrien. This is too important. What if she refuses?” 

The boy’s face became shadowed, dancing between desperation and disbelief. Caught between hope and doubt. The idea that his Lady would refuse to help seemed laughable, but at the same time, the voice in the back of his head began to whisper uncertainty.

What would he do if she refused? 

Gabriel felt his heart break at the pain he was causing his son and squeezed the boy tightly, forcing him to meet his eyes. They needed this opportunity more than anything. His son needed a push... 

“If need be... we can bring her back as well...”

\---

Ladybug smiled softly as she watched the setting sun from the roof of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame. Even though it was only a short distance away from her balcony, the feel of the Gothic church made her love Paris all the more.

A soft thud alerted the young woman to her partner’s arrival. As she turned to face him, her smile slipped from her face and turned into a look of concern.

“What’s wrong, Chaton?” the dark haired girl asked, standing up from her spot.

The blonde hero held himself uncomfortably, shifting from side to side. He was clearly in distress as he fought to figure out the right words. 

Suddenly, he blurted out, “I know who’s Papillon!”

A jolt traveled through the dark haired girl and instantly her arms were on her partner’s shoulders, pulling him to look into her eyes. “Are you hurt? Did he do something to you?” she fretted, inspecting him carefully.

Gently, Chat Noir shook his head and pushed the girl’s arms away.

“I’m fine. He… He didn’t do anything to me. We just... talked.” 

The look in Ladybug’s eyes made it clear that she didn’t believe him.

Emphatically, the leather clad teen shook his head and swallowed heavily as he tried to find the words to explain everything. Everything he had planned seemed to empty out of his head and he was drawing a terrible blank.

Patiently, his partner watched and waited. Though concerned, she held herself back, sensing his unease.

Finally, he decided that the direct approach was the only way.

“He… He’s my father,” the young man whispered, sending a wave of shock through the girl’s blue eyes.

For a moment, they stood there, standing as if worlds apart, and then, she moved, wrapping her delicate frame around his shoulders.

“Chaton… I…”

The young woman couldn’t find the words and simply squeezed him tighter, as if trying to convey every bit of caring and warmth into his body.

Chat Noir wasn’t sure when he had started crying, but he wanted that moment to last forever. He hadn’t felt anything close to this since his mother had passed… But, the thought of a whole family spurred him forward. Gently the young man pushed his partner away.

“We need the Miraculous.”

A look of confusion crossed the spotted heroine’s face as a wave of ice seemed to engulf her and sent the young woman reeling. Unconsciously, she took a step backwards as her hand reached protectively over the precious jewels adorning her ears.

Swallowing heavily, the young man dropped his arms to his sides and intoned, “Plagg, claws in.”

Ladybug gasped as the light of the transformation faded, revealing Adrien Agreste. Words could not seem to come to her mind as she tried to reconcile the multiple revelations. Chat Noir. Father. Papillon. Gabriel Agreste. Miraculous.

Everything seemed to be crashing down around her.

“Why?” a whisper escaped the young woman’s lips.

Adrien ran a hand through his hair as he struggled to find the words, staunchly ignoring the oddly silent Kwami fluttering erratically around them. The blonde’s eyes dropped as he forced the words out. 

“The magic of our Miraculous can bring my mother back to life.”

Waves of pity wracked the pigtailed girl. She stepped forward to comfort her unmasked partner, wrapping herself around his waist tenderly, and hoping to convey the feelings she could never reveal as her civilian self.

“Chaton… Adrien. You know we can’t do that,” Ladybug lamented, feeling the young man stiffen beneath her arms and grip her shoulders tightly. “The Guardian explained that the universe has a balance. A wish like that could never be fulfilled without cost.”

The girl gently lifted the boy’s chin and felt all of the pain and indecision in his gaze.

“I know.”

Marinette closed her eyes as the feeling of weightlessness and heat overcame her senses.

\---

Just before 18:20 CEST, a structure fire broke out beneath the roof of Cathédrale Notre-Dame in Paris. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire that has left the building’s spire and most of its roof destroyed along with severe damage to the upper walls.

Three emergency workers were injured in their efforts to contain the blaze along with the body of an unidentified female.

In other news, Gabriel Agreste announced the return of Emilie Agreste. The actress model wife of the famous fashion mogul awoke from a coma the previous evening to a joyous family.

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while since I felt inspired to write; however, I recently purchased a new laptop. My old computers have been dead for quite a while and I really didn't see the need to get a new one while my iPad still worked.
> 
> I began this idea years ago while I was writing my other shorts. It was unfinished and along with many of my other ideas; and, it only included knowledge of Season 1. I felt this would be a good way to dust off the cobwebs so I made a few tweaks and added a few details as well as created a new ending that fit with the location I had chosen.


End file.
